CO2 Laser Toolkit

Community Laser Talk
1

Hello all.

I’m looking to put together a full spectrum tool kit for my CO2 lasers.
I want this tool kit / health kit to be able to cover all foreseeable issues that may or potentially arise.

What im looking for is suggestions, from tools you have used to fix issues that have cropped up on your machine or what you think may be useful, no matter how obscure, or if it needs to be self made.

My thoughts so far…

None contact voltage detector
2 pole voltage & continuity tester
Allen key set, with handles and without.
Mirror removal tool (im guessing 3d printed)
Screwdriver set.
Spanner set
Crimping tool
Terminal ends
Wire strippers
Wire cutters
20 SWG (18AWG) wire & HsT
Wago 221 set.
Pluggable connector set
2 x 1.5" lenses (current use)
1 x set of Si mirrors
White lithium greace
Cotton swabs
Iso-Alcohol
Set of brushes
Machine blocks
Hammer (for when all else fails)

If you can think of anything else or maybe of a specific tool that needs printing or making im all ears!

2

That works fine: :grin:

https://softsolder.com/2023/09/05/laser-cutter-mirror-pin-wrench/

A good quality steel scale comes in handy:

A sheet of beam alignment targets:

A measuring magnifier to get the Scanning Offset Adjustment right:

A decent digital caliper for when the thickness of your materials matters:

Nah, an original Vise-Grip (not a cheap imitation) is much more useful:

Ya gotta have tools …

1 Like
3

Great suggestions!

Cant believe I forgot the rules and calipers.

Im also looking at a usb microscope but it would be good to build a workstation also!

The targets are a great idea! I wasnt sure if i needed a holder for them, seen a few 3d printed ones, also looking at a Z axis tester too with stacked targets, any suggestions?

Thank you for the suggestions

4

IMO, you’ll do that so rarely it’s not worth the hassle; tape works fine. Bonus: stick used targets along the edge of the laser cabinet to show your progress:

5

I’d suggest at least adding a 2" lens. I find it the most versatile…

Depth of field (focus) for a 1.5" lens is 0.107mm, for a 2" is 0.191mm. A 4" is 0.763mm or about 25% more depth of field.

I’ve had a couple of these usb types… I finally got one of these from Amazon… I like it a lot.

Shrink tubing (and something to shrink it with) is nice to have on hand and maybe some smaller wire for signals.

Might be lower cost in the end to just buy another machine :crazy_face:

Have fun

:smile_cat:

1 Like
6

Ive not used a 2" lens before, most of my work i do is intricate cuts, so i went with the 1.5" due to the smaller dot size, i tried the dual lens but it wasnt fit for my purposes.

Yeah the heat shrink is included but not something to heat it with, good spot!

Yes it may be expensive but… the accountant thinks it will be a worthwhile purchase :joy:

7

Toothbrush or larger type of brush for cleaning exhaust fan cage or rail system of debris. Small keychain of material settings tests (completed with power/speed settings) along with a set of blanks for troubleshooting.

1 Like
8

A small fire extinguisher which is also intended for electrical installations, preferably a CO2 fire extinguisher.

2 Likes
9

Safety kit im covering separately, i have a CO2 on order and a fire blanket also. Eventually ide like to run a fire suppression system inside the electronics side and the main body but thats a future issue.